Transportation in the modern era relies upon tires. Tires allow for rapid travel over varied terrain and conditions by maintaining a cushion of air that a vehicle rides upon.
Typical tire construction involves the use of a tubeless system, as seen in modern cars and in some cases on bicycles, or a tubed-tire system, common in bicycles. The components of a tubeless tire system include air that is captured in a chamber created by the rim of the wheel, the inner surface of the tire and a valve that is attached to the rim. The components of a tubed-tire system capture air in a flexible, elastomeric tube that lines the chamber defined by the rim and inner surface of the tire. In this system the valve is incorporated into the tube. These systems and their components are well known in the art.
Varying the relative air pressure of the tire, e.g. increasing or decreasing the air pressure, provides support for the combined vehicle, operator and passenger weight, and affects ride quality, handling characteristics, rolling resistance and the size of the tire contact patch. Tire composition and material compound also affect the tire's inherent characteristics.
Both tire systems are vulnerable to air chamber failures resulting in collapse of the tire. These types of failures are commonly caused by punctures, e.g. by a sharp object, or pinch flats where the elastic, inner tube is pinched between the sidewall or tread portion of the tire and the rim as the result of a severe impact with the ground or an object. Tubeless systems are not subject to pinch flats, but the sidewall of the tire can be damaged from collapse, or the subsequent failure may force the bead of the tire off the rim.